Brief:
- Jerome Russel brand Punky Colour, a line of semi-permanent hair color and conditioner, partnered with augmented reality (AR) app developer Perfect to show off 25 of its pigments, according to a press release.
- Perfect’s YouCam Makeup app lets mobile users test out the colors before committing to a purchase decision. The app combines AR with artificial intelligence (AI) that analyzes the movements of individual hair strands to make the digital try-on more realistic. Mobile users can see the Punky Colour lineup by downloading the YouCam Makeup app, selecting “Makeup Cam” and tapping the “Hair” category.
- Target and Ulta Beauty offer Punky Colour products for direct purchase from their mobile websites, which can be accessed with a finger tap on a smartphone or tablet screen.
Insight:
Merging mobile technology that supports product trial -- like AR and AI -- with mobile commerce, Punky Colour is likely to raise its awareness with tech-savvy millennials and Gen Z consumers and has an opportunity to drive moible sales if YouCam's users convert on the app. Punky Colour is the latest brand to offer a virtual try-on of its products using AR and AI technologies in a mobile app. YouCam Makeup is well suited for Punky Colour’s line of semi-permanent hair coloring as customers can test out a wide range of eye-catching tints before committing to a new look.
YouCam parent Perfect has also worked with Estée Lauder, Lancôme Paris, Maybelline and Flying Solo, among others, on AR experiences. This month, Perfect partnered with Hearst's Cosmopolitan magazine, Juicy Couture and Macy's on the publication's first print-to-digital beauty experience. AR-powered apps are becoming a critical part of the retail experience, according to a report in the Harvard Business Review. By using AR to demonstrate products, retailers can lead their customers to more accurate expectations, more confidence about purchase decisions and better product satisfaction.
Reality TV star and cosmetics entrepreneur Kylie Jenner this month showed off her new bubble-gum pink hair on Instagram, where she has 115 million followers. Although she didn't use Punky Colour to achieve her new look, blogs such as Bustle mentioned the brand as a possible way to emulate Jenner without a permanent dye job.
